It appears that some one has let the cat out of the bag and announced that the Bandit Delta C shape, is the only kite F-one will have for this coming season.

the website is obviously going to be updated when the french wake up for the start of their 9th July.

Batwing, Sigma, Bow, SLE, C, now Delta C.

How many Phobia's can a guy take?

nice video .. wow crazy kiteloops , shame the flash scripter never heard of pre-loading flash movies.

try searching google for flash capture streaming software...may find something that will catch the flash file streaming otherwise no I don't think there is ...as don't think its stored locally on your puter otherwise it wouldn't need to continually restream at each page revisit. instead would just load from your local browser files cache.

shame the video doesn't play through smoothly eh

That front line bridle system looks familiar?

GK KPO system?

This bridle system has been around a bit and will be seen more.

I just pinched this from the Bay area kiteboarding website, which is as much detail about the Bandit as is out there.

quote:-

BANDIT FAQ

* Name: The BANDIT
* Design: The Delta C Shape is NOT a SLE or a BOW kite and this is why:
o YES its a C shape because we have always believed this is the best shape for a kite
o NO its NOT a SLE because we have only two connectors for each side, as we have with the Tribal with its front line connectors and fith lines connectors. They are just connected on the same V bridle with a pulley on it.
o NO its NOT a BOW because the BOW design is just made to gain tension on the leading edge of a flat SLE kite, so we dont need it. We have some concave trailing edge but not much of it and its because the tips move back a lot.
o NO its not a flat kite because our front line connectors are way higher than they are on any kite designs and this is the secret of the Delta! If you take away the front connectors on the tip of any kite and place them like on the Delta the tips will go up....and everywhere.
* Production: Production is planned for August but are waiting the delivery dates confirmation. It should be the second half of the month. Stay tuned. First to come will be 7.5, 9, 11 and 13m.
* Sizes: 6.5m - 7.5m - 9m -11m -13m - 15m - During extensive testing, we could see that we use smaller kites then anything else even bow and SLE! So be aware that in most cases, you will need to take one size smaller than a Tribal.
* Range: THE choice will be clear : The Bandit is surpassing all last year ranges in their speciality.
* Bar: All bars will fit all kites, only the small ones are 45 cm and big one 55 cm.
* Lines: All lines are 24 m. However, you can use 22 m - 20 m or 18 m if you like to have the SL (Short Lines) feeling if you are used to it (for example if using the 07 Impact SL). The Bandit is adaptable to all lines length. Check out the Bandit video, the kite loops are with a 12m line setup!!
* High end: We used the Bandit in more wind than a Tribal for the same size. Example: If you used to a Tribal 11m, you should use a Bandit 9m; and you will hold it better than a Tribal 9m. BUT when you are riding unhooked, you dont take advantage of the full de power so you have to think of it.
* Patent: Pending. Yes we have a french patent under process, when we get approbation in France we will be able to go Europe and world wide.
* Colors: We should have the colors that you get on the video : All black- Black/White - Red/White- Black/Red
* Why the Delta is the only choice :

+ Get a leash connect to a fifth line going through the bar and not around
+ Get a fifth line effect with only 4 lines
+ Is powerful and get the best de power around
+ Get the auto relaunch effect
+ Has a big projected area for a c shape because most of the m2 are in the center of the kite.The tips are quite small
+ The Delta was so efficient that we took away some aspect ratio (AR) compared to the Tribal
+ Get a lot of hang time
+ Is incredible for unhooked with a better bar feeling than the Tribal
+ Get a new Force Frame construction
+ Get a swivel on front lines so you never have twist
+ Accept any lines lengh
+ Can be used by any school has it is
+ Has only 54 cm of de power rope
+ Can also be used with a short Tribal de power rope. You only loose a little bit of auto relaunch if you shorter the de power rope but un hooked riders should know how to make the best our of it
+ Loose and gain power realy smoothly
+ Keep the control of the kite even fully de powered because the back lines always keep some tension
+ Get a perfect stop and go
+ Get an incredible stabilty on the wind window above you
+ Get a smooth handling because naturaly the Delta shape like to go strait and you have to make it turn
+ Works well and feels good even in 13 or 15 m2
+ Do not feel like a mosquito in size of 7 m2; and smaller
+ Will be used by the F-One team in KPWT- PKRA - SPEED- Long distance events from today and not because we force them but because they like it!
+ Dont need much time to get used to it. You dont have to change your way of riding. F-One team just received their Bandit and some of them already will use it in July contests.
* Waveriding: Note from Rapael Salles, F-One owner and world renowned waverider: "I forgot to tell you that the wave riding with the Bandit is awesome!"

Will it pump itself up too!

Ahh just as I thought, its an SLE in denial.
Delta C, whatever, call it what you like, its a variation on the theme they have been working on for a while and looking at the video its not really a C, its a widespan SLE.

Will be interesting to see one.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Looks pretty C shaped to me.... www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=5296

If the "experienced eye" of Raphael Salles declares the Bandit to be a 'C' shape then my much less experienced eye will not let ego get in the way of respect.
try the www.eclipsekites.com website, that page shows all 3 models in profile. all 3 use an SLE bridle but the profiles are vastly different.
Take the bridles out of the picture and it would be easy to declare the Thruster a C shape.

Someone who was not trying to score ego points, and wanting to discuss where to draw the line in what kites are what. That person would put more effort into perhaps compositing the profiles of all kites then posting them. then we could all decide where the line is drawn.

edit: if it feels like a C then it is a C. http://silvesterr.com/2007/07/23/1st-place-in-valencia/#more-75

All the Team riders have switched straight to the Bandit, claiming it is better in all areas.

I would expect that when we get to try them ourselves it will be time to make statements of fact.
And then also time, for those who seem worried that the Bandit will steal their thunder, to accept that this concept has arrived.

Charl dv, you have gone to lengths to provide seemingly credible reviews of some kites you have tried, well done.
Maybe when you try the Bandit, you can give a similar unbiased and objective review.

The Tribal series was a fantastic kite. a point proven by it's owners and sales volume. I can only assume the Bandit will be a step forward.

Here is where looks are not the full story.
the Helix is not a Bow kite, rather they call it an SLE, or do they?

http://www.purekiteboarding.com/new_page_4.htm
check this link out and then argue that the pictured kite is a Bow kite.

For sure the Bandit uses a system that on principle works the same as the KPO system but as the above link testifies that system was designed for a traditional 4 line kite which we have only started referring to as 'C' kites in order to use a contrasting term to the first BoW kites.

In fact if you look closely at the pictures on that link, you could argue that the wing tips are not Squared off but curve back to a point.
Some could argue the opposite.

another argument might say that the difference that a Bow design offers is that the actual shape of the LE is flatter in the centre in order to gain a better projected surface area. So the curve is not constant.

the argument for 'C' Kites is that the curve is constant.
however some 'C' kites have displayed constant curve only until the canopy scribes 180degrees and then the tips head at a tangent towards the bar. Lately others have managed to cut short the curve so that the kite frame does not scribe a full 180dgrees, most noticeably those kites with the most swept back tips.

We have a chance here for some to flex their neurons and offer their own arguments as to what defines a kite, using logic rather than hearsay.

When will they be available to buy and about how much would a 13 bee